Cigar lighter



March 31,, 1936.

J. HOLTZMAN.

CIGAR LIGHTER Original Filed May 22, 1929 of so-called automatic lighters Patented Mar. 311, 3.93%

Divided and her 21, 1933, Serial No.

application 22, 1929, Serial. No. this appiication i leceim ll? @laiins. (or. fif ail) This application is a division of my copending application for patent for cigar lighter, Serial No, 365,013, filed May 22, 1929.

This invention relates to pocizet cigar and cigarette lighters, and particularly; to the type wherein a light is produced automatically on the release of a controlling member, or merely on lifting the lighter;

My invention contemplates the provision of economical, simple and effective means for automatically actuating the spark-producing mech anism usually employed in devices of this clean actor and for simultaneously uncapping the wick.

My invention contemplates also the provision of mechanism self-operating upon the lifting of the lighter above the supporting surface therefor. The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows, and

from the drawing, in which,

The figure is a vertical section of my improved lighter, wherein the parts are operated entirely automatically.

In that practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated, I have shown a form of my invention wherein all of the parts are autolnatically operated at all times on the lifting of the lighter from the supporting surface therefor. The container to isprovided with a base as ii which conceals most of the operating parts. Said casing or container ill is further provided with a plunger tube 72 in which the plunger i3 is mounted for vertical reciprocation. A spring as it is arranged about said plunger, and serves to urge said plunger toward the lowermost position thereof. n the top of the casing is mounted the wheel cover and wick capping frame is, carrying the cap l6 for covering the wiclr, and preventing the evaporation of'fuel therethrough.

Mounted in the sides of said frame and serving as a pivot therefor is the wheel shaft it supper ed in suitable ears 99 upstanding, from the top of the casing. On the shaft ii is mounted the abrading wheel ii. A suitable ratchet disc (as shown in Figs. 1 and of my parent application Serial No. 365,013, now Patent No. 1,944,152),

serves to operatively connect the frame with the abrading wheel, so that rotation of said frame in the proper direction causes the abrading wheel to rotate and to strike the sparks from the block 33 of pyrophoric material. Said block is mounted in the tube 78, closed by the removable screw l9 which is pressed into engagement with abrading wheel by means of the spring to.

The plunger 73 is operatively connected frame 75 by any suitable means such as for an ample, 'ny means of the pin ti passing through the slot 52 of the frame. It will be seen that when the plunger it is released for downward reciprocation the influence of the spring i i, the pin fit? moving downwardly rotates the frame 5 iii about the shaft ii in the proper direction to cause the abrading wheel to rotate and to produce eperl sto light the wick, while simultaneously uncapping the wick.

Said plunger it, however, is normally maintained in its uppermost position to hold the frame is in wick capping position, by any suitable latching means adapted to be released on the raising the lighter from the supporting surface therefor? of lateh .rged by the spring 86 into the shallow slot l o near the lower end of the plunger. Said lat-ch and spring are carried by the slide 85 supported by the lugs 87 which are in turn secured to the bottom of the casing or container A spring as 88 acts upon said slide and tends to slide toward the left, so as t release the latch 83 from the slot therefor. For normally preventing the withdrawal of the slide and therethrough of the latch toward the left, I prefer to mount a cam as 89 in engagement with the end lid of said slide. Said cam is supported by the shaft til mounted in the lugs 92 which extend from thehottom oi the casing. Secured to and extending from said shaft 9i, is the lever terminating in a suitable weight as 9d. Both said weight and the lower end of the plunger 13 be covered with suitable soft material such as felt for preventing injury or marring of the surface on which the lighter rests. As the lighter is lifted from the supporting surface, the weight so being no longer supported, drops and thereby rotates the cam 89, through the lever as and the shaft ill, out of engagement with and thereby releasing the end 90 of the to slide Said slide when so released, is urged by the uring toward the left carrying with it the a sufficient distance to disengage the a the slot 35. The plunger 73 is thereby d drops under the action of the spring rotating the frame is and causing ading wheel to light the wick. I do not, wish to be understood as limiting myself specific locking means shown for pre- 1 ing operation of the spark-producing mechn "1 and said means is intended to be merely n the parts to their normal positions, ter is merely again placed back on the ated, said means takes the form 15 supporting surface whereupon the plunger'l3 is raised as is the weight 94, causing the cam 89 to push the slide 86 toward the right and causing the latch 83. to reengage the slot 85 and thereby to hold the plunger in its uppermost position.

On the raising of the plunger, the frame is returned to closed position to extinguish the light and to cap" the wick.

It will be seen that for pocket lighters, the lever 93 may be operated directly by the finger of the user to turn the cam 89 and to effect operation of the lighter. It will be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the specific'iorm of my invention shown and described but intend to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and theterms of the appended claims. I

Iclaim: I

'1. In a pyrophoric lighing mechanism, 9. casing, a wick projecting from the top wall of the casing, two relatively movable members having operative connection with each other, one of which isv a sparking wheel and the other oil which is a snuffer-carrying' member disposed for pivotal movement above the top wall of said casing,

' a block of pyrophoric'rn'aterial yieldingly supported against said wheel, a plunger mounted in said casing normally projecting above the top wall of said casing and having an operative connection with the snuffer-carrying member for swinging said member on its pivot, said mechanism including a spring adapted tobe tensioned by the movement of said plunger in one direction, for swinging said shutter-carrying member to operate the wheel, a spring-pressed latch in said mechanism adapted to retain the shuttercarrying member in position to cover the wick, and against the force of said spring, said latch being arranged to lock said snuifer-carrying member against movement automatically upon the predetermined projection of said plunger-above the top wall of the casing and upon the movement of said plunger upwardly.

2. In a pyrophoric lighting mechanism, a casing, a wick projecting above the top'wall of the casing, two'relatively movable members having an operative connection with each other, one of which is a sparking wheel and the other is a snufllng member and both rotatably mounted above the top wall of the casing, a plunger mounted in said casing and normally projecting above the top of the casing and having an operative connection with the snumng member for swinging said member on its pivot, a spring in said mechanism adapted to be tensioned by the movement of said plunger for actuatingsaid snumng memthe casing is lifted from said surface.

3. In a light-producing mechanism, a casing, a wick projecting above the top wall of said casing, an abrading wheel rotatably mounted above the top of the casing, a pyrophoric element yieldingly supported against the wheel, a snufiing' member pivotally mounted above the top wall, and having operative connection with said wheel, a spring for operating said mechanism, a, recip rocable push device acting on said spring normally to compress the spring preparatory to operation of the mechanism, an operative connection between said device and the snuiIer member,

a releasable latching member located in said mechanism normally to prevent the action of said spring means, and pivotally mounted means acting on said latch to release said latch and to cause operation of the mechanism.

4. In a pyrophoric lighter, a casing, a wick projecting above the top wall ofsaidcasing, an v abrading wheel rotatably mounted above the top' wall of the casing, a snufilng member pivotally mounted above the top of the casing and having operative connection with said wheel, a push plunger mounted in said casing and extending above the top' of the casing, a spring interposed between said plunger and casing, said plunger having a slidable connection with the snufiing member to actuate the same, a latching member adapted to lock said snufling member in closed position against the wick until a predetermined state of tension'of said spring is produced, a

pivotally mounted member mounted in said casing and acting on said latch to release said spring for action to swing said snufiing member upwardly and thereby to operate the wheel to light the wick.

5. In a. cigarette lighting device, a casing, a wick projecting above the top wall of said casing, an abrading wheel rotatably mounted above the top wall of the casing, a lever pivotally supported above the top wall of the casing, a pyrophoric element pressed against the wheel, said lever carrying a cap on one end thereof to cover thewick, and having an extension at the other end thereof, a spring-operated plunger mounted within said casing and having an operative connection with said extension of the lever to operate the device, a latch member mounted in said device normally to lock the cap against the wick, and

means responsive to the lifting of the device oi'f a supporting surface therefor for operating said latch member to remove the cap from; the wick and simultaneously to operate the wheel to light the wick.

6. A lighter comprising a casing, a wick, an abradant wheel for generating sparks to light the wick revolubly supported by said casing, a capping member for coveringthe wick pivotally supported by said casing, a spring pressed plunger mounted on the top of said casing and extending into said casing, a spring acting on the plunger, a slot and pin connection between said plunger and said capping member, a latching member mounted in said casing and adapted to lock said capping member in snufiing position against the wick, and means to actuate said latching member to release the spring to operate the lighter.

7. A cigarette lighting device comprising a casing. a wick. a frame upstandingabove the top wall of said casing, -a sparking wheel rotatably mounted in said frame. a lever pivotally mounted in the frame, said leverhaving means to actuate the sparking wheel, a spring-actuated plunger projecting above the top wall of the casing and having a slidable connection with said lever, a spring-operated latch in the device, means to actuate said latch whereby the wick may be ignited,

a cap carried by said lever to cover the wick upon the upward movement of said plunger above the .top wall of said casing.

8. In a lighter, an abrading wheel, a wick. a pivoted frame normally covering said wheel and said wick, means for swinging said frame to simultaneously uncover said wick and rotate said wheel, and weighty means adapted to rest on a supporting surface for maintaining said frame swinging means in inoperative position and for releasing said operating means when the lighter is removed from the supporting surface therefor.

9. In a lighter, spark-producing and flameextinguishing means, means for operating said spark-producing and extinguishing means automatically, and means for locking said operating means and for automatically releasing said means on the lifting of said lighter away from a supporting surface therefor.

10; In a lighter adapted to rest on a supporting surface, spark-producing means and means responsive to the lifting of the lighter off said surface for preventing the operation of the sparkproducing means while the lighter rests on the supporting surface and responsive to the lifting of the lighter said surface to cause the operation of the spark-producing means including a spring-pressed latch, and gravity means for operating the latch.

11. In a lighter adapted to rest on a supporting surface, spark-producing means and means for maintaining said spark-producing means in inoperative position while the lighter rests on the supporting surface and for releasing said spark-producing means automatically for operation when the lighter is lifted including a latch and means adapted to engage the surface for operating the latch. 1

12. In a lighter adapted torest normally on a supporting surface, spark-producing means, gravity means for automatically causing operation of the spark-producing means when the lighter is lifted ofi said surface, and means for normally locking the spark-producing means against operation.

13. In a lighter, spark-producing and flame ex.- tinguishing means, and means for automatically operating said spark producing and extinguishing means'on the alternate lifting ofsaid lighter away from and the resting of said lighter on a supporting surface therefor. I

14. A lighter including a casing, a rod slidably mounted by said casing, means whereby said rod normally tends to extend below said swing, a wick extending from the casing, an ahrading wheel, a pivoted frame normally covering said wheel and said wick, and means connecting said frame with said wheel whereby the frame will automatically uncover the wheel and the wick upon the lighter being lifted from a supporting surface therefor.

15. In a lighter, spark-producing means including an abrading wheel, wick snuffer means, and means responsive to the lifting of the lighter from a supporting surface for simultaneously totating the abrading wheel and for moving the snufier means to wick uncapping position.

a 16. In a lighter, a casing, a wick, an abrading wheel, a snuifer member for sealing the'wick, said wheel and snufier member being located over the casing, a member arranged for vertical reciprocation in the casing, said wick and reciprocat ing member being located on opposed sides of the wheel, the snufier member covering the wheel and wick and being pivoted on the same axis as the wheel, an operative connection between the snuffer member and the wheel, a projection on the reciprocating member for engaging and rotating the snuffer member to rotate said snuffer member to seal the wick when the reciprocating member is moved upwardly to a limiting position in one direction, spring means for urging the abrading wheel to rotate, a spring-pressed latch for preventing rotation of the snuifer member and the wheel under the influence of the spring means when the wick is sealed by the snufier member, said latch being held in released position by said reciprocating member when said member is moved downwardly a predetermined distance from said limiting position,

17. In a lighter, a casing, a wick, spark-pro-- ducing means including an abrading wheel, a snuffer member for the wick, said wheel and snuffer member being located over the casing, a member arranged for vertical reciprocation in the casing, said wick and member being located on opposed sides of the wheel, said snuifer memberbeing pivoted on the same axis as the wheel, means for operatively connecting the snuffer to the spark-producing means, a projection on the reciprocating member for engaging and rotating the snufier member to cap the wick, a spring for operating the spark-producing means, a springpressed latch in the path of and for engagement with the reciprocating member for preventing operation of the spark-producing means by said spring iintil'said latch is released and then permitting said spring to rotate the snufier member to expose the wick and to rotate the abrading wheel to produce sparks.

JOHN HOLTZMAN. 

